WWE superstars who championed other sports

Despite pro-wrestling being scripted in nature, it still requires a great deal of athletism from the performers who put their bodies on the line each and every day inside the squared circle. So it should not come as a surprise to anyone that many of the superstars who currently perform in the industry have championed themselves in various different sports.

Many superstars have tried their luck out in sports such as MMA and American football, tasting different levels of success. Here we take a look at a few WWE stars including Bill Goldberg, Ronda Rousey, Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar who were quite a big deal in different sports, before the start of or at the end of their pro-wrestling careers.

Bill Goldberg. (Source: Still Real To Us)

Bill Goldberg was the most dominant force in the history of the now defunct WCW. He then made his move to the WWE where he became the World Heavyweight Champion and the Universal Champion in his second run. But before setting foot inside the ring, Goldberg was a highly respected American football player. He played for the likes of Los Angeles Rams and Carolina Panthers before injuries and a loss of form brought about an early end to his career.

Ronda Rousey. (Source: MMA World)

Ronda Rousey was arguably the most well-known face in the world of mixed martial arts and the UFC before she decided to become a pro-wrestler. She brought about a great deal of spotlight to the women’s division as the bantamweight champion. After a couple of devastating losses though, she decided to hang it up from the octagon and pursued a career in acting before making her debut in WWE last year, where she is now the RAW Women’s Champion.

Kurt Angle. (Source: The Sportster)

The story of Kurt Angle is one which has been heard all over the globe. Before lacing up his boots and becoming one of the greatest WWE superstars of all-time, Kurt was a highly heralded freestyle wrestler. Such was his talent that he managed to win the Gold medal with a broken neck at the 1996 Altlanta Olympics.

Brock Lesnar. (Source: MMA Fighting)

Brock Lesnar by genetics has been a freak of nature. Not only has he excelled in the WWE but three other sports. That’s right, three! He started his career at the University of Minnesota as a collegiate wrestler becoming the most highly-rated athlete in the country. He then left for the WWE. After a couple of years in the company, he left to try his luck in the NFL where he almost made the cut for the Minnesota Vikings. Lesnar then started training for MMA and was given his shot by the UFC, where he surprisingly became the UFC Heavyweight Champion. His career in MMA though came to a premature end due to diverticulitis add he made his comeback to the WWE where he is currently the Universal Champion.